Much like the poetry in which it is rooted, the beauty and interest of Busboys and Poets lies in its contrast.
Sunlight streams through the expansive windows during lunch hour at Busboys and Poets, the restaurant, coffee shop and bookstore located in the heart of Washington's bustle two blocks from the U Street Metro stop.
Owner Andy Shallal opened Busboys to create a place for progressives to gather. It soon became a restaurant where "those who believe in social justice and peace could break bread together," Shallal said.
The restaurant earned a buzz for its electric open mic nights, most notably its Tuesday night event. People flock to Busboys from all over the District, as well as Baltimore, Virginia and even New York to read and watch.
"Open mic is very cathartic," Shallal said.
Since its name is a reference to Langston Hughes, Shallal knew poetry would be important to the restaurant when it first opened. But he did not imagine the richness or quality of the poetry that would sound from the restaurant.
"It's some really, really remarkable stuff," he said.
After two years of searching for the perfect space, Shallal selected its current location on the corner of 14th and V streets for its size and accessibility. The restaurant had a distinct commitment to the community from the day it opened, both in how it sought to enhance its neighborhood and bring people together in a creative environment.
The U Street neighborhood fosters the restaurant's distinct vibe.
"That's the success," Shallal said. "If we were to transplant this vibe someplace else, it wouldn't make sense. It would be an imposition."
Because of this interconnectedness, Busboys has evolved as its neighborhood has transformed. Gentrification has changed the face of the U Street area, as it has in other parts of the District. The building next door to Busboys was still under construction when it opened in 2005.
The restaurant works to retain the positive effects of gentrification, such as increased quality of services, and limit its negative effects, such as expense and homogeneity.
"We believe the government should work to help residents so they don't feel they have to get out just as soon as things are getting better," he said.
Similarly, the restaurant draws upon its location in D.C. to be a center for social change. Its programs and events share the same mission to instigate social justice, Shallal said. It hosts a weekly documentary film series called "Focus In" that showcases socially conscious cinema as well as discussions on peace and race. A constantly changing art exhibit hangs on the restaurant's walls. Its connecting bookstore is run by the social justice organization Teaching for Change, which seeks to eliminate bias in teaching. The fair trade education organization Global Exchange will open a similar bookstore in the near future.
Shallal, who migrated from his job as an immunologist at the National Institutes of Health to the restaurant business, where he believed he could create change, said he has faith in the power of creativity and community.
The peace and justice mural in the restaurant that Shallal created embodies the rich community of artists and activists who have overcome the obstacles of their times. Photographs of Ghandi and Nelson Mandela, among others, are set amid a background of painting and words.
"You look up and see this is not the only time in history where things have been bad," he said. "It's a wall of hope."
This hope is what Busboys and Poets ultimately strives to create.
"When people are isolated from each other, they don't feel the power of the group." Shallal said. "This space is an opportunity for people to feel that connection to others"
